Indexing chuck



NGV. 7, 1944. F. HUNZlKERl 2,362,071

INDEXING cHucK Filed March 19, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 7, 1944. F. HUNzlKER 2,362,071

INDEXING CHUCKA I Filed March 19, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 7, 1944 UNITED JSTATES' PATENT OFFICE 2,362,071. INDEXING CHUCK Fred Hunziker, Cleveland, Ohio, assigner of onehalf to The W. J. Schoenberger Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March 19, 1943, Serial No. 479,760

17 Claims.

This invention relates to an indexing chuck mechanism for turret lathes and other machine tools, said mechanism being on the order of that shown in my prior United States Patents 1,801,601 and 1,801,602, issued April 21, 1931 (hereinafter, for convenience, patents A and B, respectively). Both said patents show the same chuck mechanism, patent B" showing more in detail an illustrative manner of mounting the mechanism on 'a turret lathe, uid operated .means to cause jaw elements of the chuck to grip and release work in the chuck. Both patents show means for indexing the jaw elements with work therein while the lathe spindle is rotating. It will be assumed for the sake of brevity hereof that the present mechanism is arranged for operation in conjunction with a turret lathe or other machine tool the same as shown, disclosed or indicated by either or both of said patents.

An object of the present invention is to pro- `vide an improved indexing chuck mechanism. Other objects are to provide such a mechanism having: (a) an improved and simplified indexing ratchet and locking or retaining means for an indexable work holder; (b) an improved unitary carrier or slide for the ratchet means and an improved manner of mounting and actuating the same on a suitable support; (c) an improved chuck jaw operating means for gripping and releasing work in the chuck; (d) improved cam operated arrangements for actuating the jaws to closed position; (e) an improved arrangement for enabling the size of work which can be supported and indexed to vary considerablywithout sacrice of accuracy, stability or production speed when handling either large or small work pieces;'(f) an improved manner of adjusting work retaining and indexing elements on an indexing chuck in order more effectively to enable a single embodiment of the mechanism to handle large and small work with approximately equal precision and speed; and (g) improvements in respect to advantageously balancing the main rotary chuck mechanism support to the end of minimizing strain and wear on the main spindle bearings while utilizing some degree of unbalance as to certain parts of the mechanism for the purposefof maintaining the work firmly in accurately indexed position during the times while cutting operations are being performed on the work.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of illustrative embodiments thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the indexing chuck mechanism and main supporting rotary frame or body; Fig. 2 is a detail sectional perspective view thereof in a differently turnedposition of the frame or body; Fig. 3 is a central sectional assembly view of the chuck mechanism mounted on a lathe spindle; Fig. 4 is a central sectional view taken in a plane substantially at right angles to Fig.A 3 about the lathe spindle axis; and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing amodiiled mechanism for opening and closing work holding jaws of an indexing chuck such as that of Figs. l to 4.

Parts of the mechanism herein shown and which require no special description in view of the state of the art generally are as follows: Tubular lathe spindle I (Fig. 3); generally circular chuck rotary frame or body 2; shank 3 of the frame or body 2, which shankl may be screw threaded at 4 onto the lathe spindle; chuck jaws 5 and 6 (Fig. l only), oppositely recessed to receive the work; guiding brackets 'I and Bon the frame or body 2 for respective indexable supporting heads 9 and I 0 for the respective jaws, jaw head operating lrocker arms II and I2 (see Fig. 4), fixed pivots I3 of which arms are preferably supported on the brackets I and 8; push rods I5 (Fig. 4) slidable in the body 2 for operating the rocker arms, and an axially reciprocable jaw operating bar I6 in the tubular spindle and having a cam surfaced head I'I (improved arrangement) simultaneously engaging -both push rods to actuate the rocker arms in a direction to bring the jaws 5 and 6 into clamping relation to the work.

Also generally known, in view of said patents A and "B, is a slide bar 2B in a suitable retaining guideway structure 2l on the front face of the chuck frame or body 2, and extending at right angles to the indexing axis of the work gripping jaw supporting heads 9 and I0, for carrying indexing and locking elements (improvements later described herein) acting on special shoulders of the head 9 (improved form described later) which head 9 is drivingly rigid with the'jaw 5 (as shown) for indexing the work While the two jaws are gripping the work. Patents A and B show also a sleeve constituting a peripherally grooved shifting collar generally on the order of that shown in Fig. 3 hereof at 23, slidably keyed on the shank 3 of the frame or body 2 and having means coupled therewith for reciprocating the index-mechamsm-supporting slide bar 20 during rotation of the chuck to perform the work-jaw indexing and lockin'z operations.

In the improved arrangement the sleeve -or collar 23 has positive gear drive connections with opposite ends of the suce bar 2o, enabling the slide bar to be actuated positively and easily, as by hand in opposite directions, said gear arrangement requiring no weight or Weights to be added to the chuck mechanism for practically adequate balancing, so that only the indexing slide bar assembly, which is relatively light in weight, imposes any unbalance to the chuck mechanism generally and then only temporarily (during the indexing operation, which can and usually is performed in less than a second).

Yoke arms 25 (Fig. 3) of the shift lever of suitable form pivoted iixedly on theturret lathe on an axis transverse to the spindle axis operate the grooved collar 23 as through suitable shoes 28 conventionally attached to the yoke arms, and the collar 23 may be slidably keyed to the shank 3 as at 21. The collar 23 has diametrally opposite longitudinally extending toothed racks 28 and 29 (Fig. 3 only) respectively in constant mesh with gears (one segmental) 30 and 3|. The gear 30 is in constant mesh with a reversing idler gear 32 and the gears 3| and 32 are in constant mesh with toothed racks 34 and 35 respectively secured to the rear side of the slide 29 which carries the ratchet mechanism (described later). The gears 38, 3| and 32 are freely turnable on pins 30', 3| and 32 bridging parallel radial arm portions 36 of the body 2 spaced substantially the thickness of the various gears.

The movement of the slide 20 in one direction is limited by the collar 23 which abuts a shoulder 31 oi the spindle, said direction being that in which the indexing mechanism prepares to perform an indexing and locking operation on the head 9. Movement of the slide in the poposite direction is adjustably limited by an abutment screw 38 (Figs. 1 and 2) carried on a bracket 39 attached to the body 2 in overhanging relation to one end of the slide 20. The screw abuts one end of one one of two central raised ribs 40 kand 4| of the slide beneath which ribs the racks 34 and 35 are secured.

When the slide 2li moves into abutment with the screw 38, the slide is releasably but firmly held in position against displacement out of that position (as due to vibration of the lathe or from other cause) by a spring detent plunger.

42 (Fig. 1) slidable in a block 43 on the body 2 and which cooperates with a beveled detent surface 44 on a block 45 fixed to the slide 20. The slide 20 may extend equal distances on opposite sides of the spindle axis (see Fig. 3) in the work precisionizing position of the ratchet and locking mechanism carried by the slide 20, or (as shown by Fig. 1 only), the slide 20 may be slightly off center toward the abutment screw 38 in said position, so that centrifugal force, acting on the slide 2U, is added to the acting force of the detent plunger 42 in retaining the mechanism in position.

The jaw supporting heads 9 and I0 are mounted on bearing assemblies (one fully shown in Fig. 4 but both alike) including cylindrical plungers freely but snugly slidable in the guides 'l and 8- and having connecting pins movable in the vrocker arms as evident from Fig. 4. The heads 9 and I0 have transverse diametral grooves 52 for receiving the jaw blocks 5 and 6 and threaded holes 53 for receiving jaw clamping screws (not shown). Additionally, the heads 9 and lll have respective integral spindle or shank portions U3 (one shown) Journalled for free rotation in the plungers as on double antifriction bearing as semblies 58 and 51 which resist both axial and radial or side thrust.

The jaw supporting assemblies are preferably biased outwardly as by spring plungers 58 mounted in respective brackets 'I and 8 and acting radially outwardly on the rocker arms and l2. The rocker arms have adjustable connections (screw and lock nut assemblies 59) with the push rods 5 so that the work (piece W, Fig. 1) can be accurately adjusted to the center of the chuck and nrmly gripped, and also in order for compensating adjustment when the heads 9 and l0 are spaced diilerent distances apart as by moving the brackets 'l and 8 in radial ways 80 toward and away from the chuck center. The brackets l and 8, when properly adjusted for a given size of work piece, are fastened in position on the body 2 by means of clamping plates `6| overhanging respective nange portions of the brackets.

The push rods I5 have their inner ends shaped generally complementary to the cam portion il of the central operating rod I6 of the spindle. The push rods may be oi' circular section and keyed as at |5 to hold said inner ends in proper relationship to the cam. The cam form (conical and diverging toward the body 2), is of scial advantage in that it can be used to prevent the chuck from becoming accidentally unscrewed from the spindle at threads 4 (as by inertia, upon stopping or reversing the lathe spindle), assuming the opposite end of the cam actuating rod or bar IB is positively limited by suitable abutment means associated with said opposite end, as usually is the case. For example, the rod or bar I6, if attached. to a piston of an air operated motor as in said patent B, would be limited by abutment of the piston with suitable abutment means in the associated cylinder in which the piston operates. The piston in the case oi Figs. 3 and 4 hereof would move in a direction opposite the direction of operation according to Fig. 5

, hereof and said patents A and B in actuating the work holding jaws to Work-gripping position.

In the rocker arm operating cam and push rod arrangement according to Fig. 5 hereof, wherein the chuck body and other parts are shown diagrammatically in outline only, the conical cam surface |1a of the end of the reciprocablymovable rod or bar |6 converges toward the main body of the chuck and the push rods |5a are directed substantially at angles normal to respectively aeting cam faces. The Fig. 5 arrangement has certain advantages, namely; a high degree of eiiiciency as to the cam and push rods; capability of use with simple push rods of cylindrical form requiring no keys such as I5 of Fig. 4;y and, in addition, capability of eiIective operation on relatively short ends of the rocker arms |2a for greater opening and closing movement oi the chuck jaws 5 and 6 incident to a short operating distance of travel of the cam rod or bar i6.

For indexing and precisionizing the `work upon reciprocating niovement of the slide 20, as by sdl which may operate in a variable range of positions along the axis of the head-operating Plungl' ers Il as previously described.

ment 12 for the limiting of swinging movement` o fthe pawl toward the head 9.

A relatively raised portion 1I of the arm 1I has surfaces 1l and 1l at right angles to each other which act against complementary relatively indented surfaces of the head 9, when theslide 29 is in the position thereof. shown in Figs. 1 and 3, to hold the head l positively against turning in either direction. More speciflcally, the head 9 is coarsely uted and of generally cross shaped section (See Fig. 2) providing peripherally identical arms 89 spaced 90 from each other in the particular form shown; and the arms III have opposite head surfaces -in pairs 8|, 92; Ila, 92a, etc., to tlc as indicated on Fig. 3. The pawl Il successively engages the faces 8i, 82a etc. to index the head 9-through a partial indexing turn thus partly indexing the work W and head il; and the face 14 of the fixed arm portion 13, after the indexing has been partially performed by the pawl B8, completes the indexing operation, and, by rotating the head 9 until one of the relatively leadlng surfaces thereof (e. g. 82e, Fig. 3) is brought into abutment with the surface 15 of the raised arm portion 13, positively precisonizes the head 0 in indexed position.

The indexing and precisonizing operatipns can perhaps be more clearly understood iirst by reference to Fig. 2 as exhibiting the movement of the slide to the left, Fig. 2, preparatory to indexing', and showing the pawl 69 ready to engage the arm surface 8|a of the head 9;-

and second, by reference to Fig. 3,V showing: the slide 20 moved back-as to the right Fig'. 2, upwardly in Fig. 3-into abutment with the screw The bracket Il ismounted on the head-plungersupporting bracket 1, parallel thereto, as by a 'clamp screw 9i for adjustment of the restrainer arm Il into prorper relationship to the head l,

parallel to the axis of the latter. A leaf spring position against the next face (e'. g. 82)

The index-head-locklng function of the arm 85 is' accomplished by reason of an end face 81 of said arm disposed at right angles to the pivot axis (pin 92) so that said end face, after the spring-restrained pivotal movement of the arm I5 described above, swings into sliding abutment with the instantaneously adjacent trailing surface of the head 9. The operation is illustrated the end face 91 of the arm 85 and a trailing 38 (top of Fig. 3); the pawl in the position after it has partially indexed the head 9, and the arm surface 14 in the position after it has completed the indexing movement of the head, by engagement with head surface 8l, and has moved the head surface 82o against the ann surface 15, completing the precis-ionizing operation. The spring plunger 42 (upper left, Fig. 1) is-shown in position against the beveled surface I4 which, in cooperation with the abutment screw 38, holds the slide 20 in final position until an operation or one series of operations has or have been performed on one portion of the work piece (e. g. turning, drilling ,screw threading etc.).

During the nrst part of the indexing operation on the head 9, the head-which can always turn very freely in its bearing support 55, 51 notwithstanding considerable gripping pressure of the jaws on the workis prevented from the turning too far and from reverse rotation by a pivotally and Vyieldably mounted in, dex-head-restrainer and locking arm or bar 85 which is situated opposite or beyond the particular arm 89 of the head being acted upon (as in Fig. 3) by the precisionizing surface 1I of the bracket 10. The restrainer and locking arm 85 is Lshaped, having a leg li extending between two parallel arms 89 and B9 of an `H-shaped4 face of the head is shown, but specically to face Sib of said head because of the differently turned position of the head in Fig. 2. Since the arm is vsnugly fitted between the arms 58 and 99 of the bracket 99 and the bracket 90 is clamped rigidly to the bracket 1, so that it cannot yield, the head 9 is positively prevented from being turned out ofindexed position in a direction reverse to the indexing rotary movement, due for example tothe force of the spring 95. or other cause, just prior to the time the surface 15 of the arm 10 moves into i'ullA 'abutting relationship to the relatively trailing arm surface (e. g.surface 8|, Fig. 3) of the head. After the indexing has been completed (Fig. 3) the surfaces, namely 81 of the pivoted arm 85 and 15 of the fixed arm portion 13 of the arm 10 cooperate as a positive locking means to prevent turning of the head 9 in either direction irrespective of any slight movement of the slide 20 which might take place.

In view of the overhang of the heads 9 and I9 from their supporting bearings, abutment of one or both of the heads by fixed parts of the cross slide 65 may be effected along a plane passing through the centers of the heads and coincident with the working axis of the lathe tool (e. g. in case of a drill or threading die). This is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 wherein a free edge surface 10a of the rigid arm 10 is shown in tangential abutting relation to the peripheral circular face of one of the arms 89 of the head 9. Such plane as mentioned above is represented by the sectional plane of Fig. 4 (indicated by line 4-4 on Fig. 3).

The present chuck mechanism, it will be observed, is very sturdy, and the accuracy and speed of presentation of different branches of elbow, T and cross ttings (for example) to the tools of a turret lathe or similar production machine tool greatly speeds up production of such work.

While not illustrated herein the present mechanism can be re-arranged (as by duplicating the indexing pawl and locking mechanism 89, 14, 15 in spaced eiectively oppositely acting relationship along the slide and omitting the pivoted arm 85 and its supporting brackets, in which case the slide would have positively limiting but adjustable abutments as at both endse. g. two screws 38--one for each final worklocking position of the slide), for indexing parts such as elbow fittings to and fro through 90 or other angles instead of indexing always in one direction of rotation. Said patent A has (Fig. 17 thereof) a similar arrangement for reverse indexingfin a non-stop indexing chuck, which arrangement is deemed to constitute a suiiicient complementary illustrative showing of said rearrangement for reverse indexing just explained herein.

In cases of workhaving, for example, three branches radiating from a common center, the head 9 would have three arms 80 in respectively appropriate angular relationship about the head center; but the indexing and precisionizing mechanism hereof would not require essential modification.

I claim:

l. An indexing chuck having a gripping jaw assembly rotatable on an axis transverse to the main axis of rotation of the chuck for enabling indexing of the work, a slide movable transverse to said main axis during rotation of the chuck, a fiuted head on the jaw assembly providing radially disposed arms spaced equally about the axis of the head, means on the slide arranged to index the work by intermittent engagement with the arms, said means including a follow-up rigid indexing and locking means which engages relatively leading and trailing surfaces of adjacent arms of the head to lock the head in indexed position against turning in opposite directions.

2. An indexing chuck having a gripping jaw assembly rotatable on an axis transverse to the main axis of rotation of the chuck, a slide mounted on the chuck for movement transverse to one of said axes, a head on said assembly having arm portions with parallel faces at right angles to each other and extending axially of the assemblyy and indexing and precisionizing means on the slide including a part normally rigid with the slide and having mutually rigid abutment surfaces at right angles to each other and arranged simultaneously to engage respective relatively opposite faces of two adjacent arm portions.

3. An indexing chuck having a gripping jaw assembly comprising coaxial rotary mounts ior two jaws transversely of the main chuck axis, a fiuted head on one of the mounts, a slide movable across the front face of the chuck adjacent the iluted head, yielding means on one of the mounts arranged to engage the head while yieldable tangentially of the path of rotation of the head to restrain free turning of the head, and indexing pawl mechanism carried on the slide and engageable with the head to turn it positively against the restraining force of said yielding means.

4. An indexing chuck having coaxial rotary mountings for work gripping jaws, an indexable head having radially disposed arms spaced about the axis of the head and carried by one of said mountings, a slide movable across the face of the chuck which is presented toward the mountings,

means for reciprocating the slide while the chuck i is being driven, a pawl pivoted on an arm of the slide and aranged to perform a partial indexing operation on the head during movement of the slide in one direction, and locking means on the slide engagingthe head during a further movement of the slide in said one direction in a manner iirst to complete the indexing operation and then lock the head against rotation by engagement with faces of vangularly adjacent arms of the head.

5, The arrangement according to claim i wherein thelocking means is a rigid part oi a carrier for the pawl.

6. An indexing chuck having mountings for supporting gripping jaws ior indexing rotation on an axis transverse to the main rotational ai' of the chuck, a slide independent of both mountings and disposed centrally on a face of the chuck which is presented adjacent the mountings, said slide being diametraily arranged on the chuck across said main axis, and indexing and locking means carried by and projecting from the slide at one side of said main axis into cooperative indexing and locking relationship to one of said mountings.

7. The arrangement according to claim 6 wherein the mountings are radially adjustable on the chuck, said slide carries a cross slide movable parallel to the mounting adjustment; axis and the indexing and locking means are carried by the cross slide.

8. An indexing chuck having coaxial rotary work gripper mountings radially movable transverse to the main rotational axis of the chuck for gripping and releasing work, a slide carried by the chuck, an indented wheel on one of the mountings, said wheel having arms with opposite parallel faces, indexing means carried by the slide including a part engageable with faces of two adjacent arms of the wheel, and a restraining device yieldingly movable in a direction tangentially of the path of movement of the arms, engageable with a face of one of the said arms opposite the face of that arm engaged by said part of the indexing means.

9. An indexing chuck having coaxial rotary mountings for work grippers, an indexing slide mounted for movement across a front face of the chuck, indexing mechanism carried by the slide and cooperating with one of the mountings, central chuck mounting means at a rear portion of the chuck, reciprocatable means associated with the chuck mounting means, and a gear driving connection between the reciprocatable means and one end of the slide and arranged to move the slide positively to and fro to perform indexing operations.

10. An indexing chuck having coaxial rotary work gripping jaw assemblies, an indexing slide mounted for movement across a front face of the chuck, indexing mechanism carried by the slide and cooperating with one of the assemblies to turn the same for indexing the work, a central mounting shank on a rear portion of the chuck, a sleeve slidable on the shank, and a gear driving connection including a rack on the sleeve, a rack on the slide and a gear on the chuck operatively in mesh with both racks.

1l. The arrangement according to claim l0 wherein the sleeve has oppositely driving substantially balanced geared connections with opposite end portions of the slide.

12. An indexing chuck having a pair of coaxial rotary work grippers at one end spaced on opposite sides of the main rotational axis of the chuck, an indexing slide adjacent the work grippers and reciprocable in a straight line to index one of the grippers, means slidable on the end of the chuck opposite the work grippers, and rotary gear members interposed between and operatively in mesh with racks of said means' and indexing slide whereby positively to move the rack in opposite directions.

13. An indexing chuck according to claim 12 wherein said slide is diametrally arranged on the chuck and the rotary gear members include a rst gear meshing with a rack on one end of the slide and other gear members in balancing arrangement relative to the first gear and in operative meshing relationship to a rack on the other end of the slide.

14. An indexing chuck having coaxial rotary work gripper mountings radially movable transverse to the main rotational axis of the chuck for 4 gripping and releasing work, a slide carried by the chuck, an indented wheel on one of the mountings, said wheel having arms with opposite parallel relatively leading and trailing faces, indexing means carried by the slide including a part engageable with a relatively leading face of one of the arms to lock the wheel against rotation out of indexed position in one direction and another part which is yieldable in the indexing direction of rotational movement of said arm and returnable after such yielding into position to engage a relatively trailing face of another arm to lock the wheel against rotation out of indexed position vin the opposite direction.

15. The arrangement according to claim l14 wherein said other locking part is a yieldably positioned arm on a nxed pivot normal to the face oi the yieldably positioned arm which locking and extending in a plane coincident with,

ingly engages such relatively trailing surface of the wheel.

16. In a non-stop indexing chuck including a main body having a pair of opposite coaxially mounted rotatable work gripping assemblies including a'pair of jaw supporting heads one of which is generally circular, means slidable across the face of the main body'which lies adjacent said assemblies and at right angles to the axis of said assemblies for indexing one of the assemblies by intermittent operation on one of the heads, and rigid means on the slide continually tangentially abutting the circular head surface on the side Aof the head toward the slide after performance of each indexing operation and in a plane coincident with said axis of said assemblies.

17. An indexing chuck comprising a main` ro tary body having va rear end portion adapted to be attached to a lathe spindle or similar machine, transverse, coaxial inde'xable Work gripping jaw mountings at the forward end of the body and means for indexing one of the mountings, one of said mountings being movable diametrally ofthe chuck to enable work to be placed in the jaws, a rocker arm connected with said movable mountthe rocker arm.V 

